Believe
by keltieful
Summary: "Luce, do you believe in dragons?" Modern and supernatural AU - NaLu and other side pairings
1. Here There Be Dragons

**A new story! Look at that! I'm not dead... yet.**

**I'm trying my hand at a bit of a Fairy Tail fic, mostly because I am in _lovelovelove_ with Fairy Tail (and Natsu and Lucy) and I've got a few plot bunnies. Best to get this out before Uni starts up again.**

**I hope you enjoy whatever my crazy mind can come up with. Please leave feedback! It's very nice and makes any authors day-or night!**

**Disclaimer: Despite popular demand, I still don't own anything important or useful. Since Fairy Tail falls under these categories, I guess I don't own it. Darn.**

* * *

He turned to his female companion, deep, synthetic bass reverberating through to his very soul, and regarded her with curious onyx eyes. A single pink – salmon – lock fell into his field of vision as he surveyed his humming counterpart.

Her blonde hair fell in loose curls, just reaching past her shoulder blades. Usually bright brown eyes were hidden behind their lids, her long, dark lashes leaving spiked shadows across her slightly flushed cheeks. A cute button nose led his wandering gaze down to her soft, darkened lips. Without a doubt his companion, comrade, client, partner, best friend, whatever anyone wanted to label their connection, was stunningly gorgeous.

As the song finished and moved onto something a little more 'trance-fusion', whatever the hell that really meant; a droplet of sweat traversed the sharp planes of his face, down his neck, over his collarbones and down his well-developed chest, finally stopping in the rigid contours of his abs. He couldn't imagine surviving in this almost unbearable heat whilst being what Lucy liked to call 'appropriately covered'. Score one for the vest – zero Lucy's logic. It wasn't like anyone had ever complained. Hell, when he wore a 'normal' shirt, girls constantly pouted and asked what happened to his usual outfits. Watching Lucy snarl like an enraged beast was funny; until she'd turned her anger on him. Never again had he forsaken his open vests.

At the next song change those oh-so-expressive brown eyes directed themselves to his figure, catching his own lingering orbs easily. A single perfectly sculpted eyebrow rose, probably to question his blatant staring, before she was distracted by the – now offensive – pink strands partially covering his right eye. A dainty hand rose and brushed back the salmon lock, catching briefly in the rest of his untameable mane and lingering on his forehead. A light blush stained her cheeks, probably as she realised the implications of such an intimate touch. Whilst Lucy was beautiful and confident in her 'sexual appeal', she was vastly inexperienced in the world of dating. It was, Natsu supposed, to be expected of the crown princess of Fiore.

Steeling his nerves, Natsu leaned across, closing the minute gap between them and re-caught her attention. He motioned for her to follow before turning and walking from the basement they had been occupying for the last hour or so. Up the stairs, by-passing a number of drunken college students participating in a plethora of activities they would no doubt regret come morning, Natsu exited Laxus and Mira's house and made his way across the lawn, Lucy close on his heels.

After the loud, cramped, sweltering hot-pot in the basement, the crisp night air was incredibly welcome. He gulped down breaths, letting the clear air replace the smoky, potentially hazardous waste which had been filling his lungs until that point.

A quick glance into the sky let him know that he had to move fast or wait another year or more. Quickening his pace he led the patient, curious blonde into the woods bordering the quiet – excluding Laxus and Mira – housing estate. When they had finally – a full five minutes later – reached the large, hollow oak Natsu stopped. Now came the part he wasn't so sure how to do. His only clues were his father's vague words, spoken over a decade ago. They were shouted at him between a lecture on responsibility, finding his mate and not… destroying things? All he knew was that he needed a _willing_ female with potent, untapped powers, the summer solstice, a southern country, a full moon and that was about it. He was pretty sure.

"Lucy… do you believe in magic?" His voice was soft, hesitant and he would – never – admit to being slightly afraid of her answer.

"Magic? Like fairy tales? I thought people were supposed to grow out of that stuff." Her voice mirrored his own, lightly breaking as she thought of her mother, now long gone, the woman who had made her promise to never forget magic and fairies.

"Magic; like elves, pixies, unicorns, ghosts, demons, harpies, mermaids and sprites." His eyes bored into her own, silently searching, beseeching her to know the correct answer.

"Magic; like dragons."

Her gasp and the subsequent widening of her eyes, the _smell_ of her fear, caused his own eyes to narrow, an automatic defense. How many human stories had it taken for his sweet, caring Lucy to become afraid of his people?

His hand reached out of its own accord, seeking to comfort and connect, fingers gently pushing up her chin to focus her full attention back on him. Their eyes locked once more, he willed the last of his magic to surface, feeling the pitch black scales forming under his eyes and the heat returning to his stomach. It had been so long. Too long; much too long.

"Dragons? I've always wanted to meet one of those." Her soft words, coupled with the exceedingly gentle brush of fingertips against the sleek surface of his scales had him grinning, revealing newly elongated and sharpened canines. Who'd have thought it would be so easy for the dragon to get the princess?

Just as the moon reached the peak of its travels a soft light enveloped the two making Lucy's eyes widen in both awe and confusion. A second later and they were gone.


	2. Home Again, Home Again

**Ok, I'll mention this now; Tornor -Natsu's home world- is a place from a book that I once enjoyed. Apparently the rest of the series is weird but Watchtower is quite good (and owned by Elizabeth A. Lynn). I'll be basing the places from this world. Just a forewarning in case anyone is wondering.**

**Fairy Tail is still, fortunately or unfortunately, owned by Hiro Mashima (the greatest tease known to mankind… and dragon-kind).**

**Enjoy! :D**

* * *

Igneel sat on his throne, looking out across the spacious court in front of him. His nephew, a young ice dragon, was seated dutifully by his side. It had been years since the rightful owner of that seat had been seen. If one was to listen closely, on that particular afternoon, then they may have been able to hear the slight sigh which escaped the barely parted lips of the usually fearsome dragon king.

"You know, it's too quiet without him here." Gray spoke up, having caught the wistful sigh. It was true, of course. Without the… eager, young prince around, life in Tornor had been almost too quiet and uneventful. At first it was amazing, Gray was left to bask in peace and quiet and Total. Complete. Boredom. Not that he'd ever _miss_ the flame brained idiot but, they were family so he was expected to care. That was all. Yeeeep.

Without looking at the dark haired male beside him, Igneel nodded his head in agreement. Life in Tornor was peaceful and prosperous and idyllic and tedious. Not one exciting thing had happened in the last thirteen odd years. Not that Igneel was going back on his decision to punish Natsu; it was just that he'd maybe been a little too hasty. Something a little closer to home might have sufficed. And Grandine might not have been so upset.

"Do you remember that time he set the whole of Lake Aruna on fire, just because he heard someone say it was impossible. I still have no idea how he managed to set water on fire…" Gray continued, unperturbed by Igneel's silence.

"Oil, there was oil on the surface." Igneel muttered, half-heartedly, causing Gray to nod and mutter a quiet '_not too shabby'_. It had been a great stunt and proven the continued strength of their lineage. He had to hand it to the boy; he sure knew how to turn heads. Dramatic flair, it seemed, ran in the family.

"I recall the nearby town of Fleids also catching ablaze. It cost the kingdom five million jewels just to cover damage costs." Igneel shook his head. He had often wondered where he'd gone wrong with Natsu. He was more destructive than the worst of the Anhard demons and he had never once even realised. If he would just think once before he set something –most likely a town- alight or crushed –yet another- priceless cultural artefact. Was it really too much to ask that his son -and future king!- show some maturity _once_ in his lifetime?

"It's not like he was the only one to ruin a town. Remember when Gajeel went through puberty and demolished Vanima? Natsu fought him for three days without sleep just to curb his appetite for destruction."

Ok. So his son did have a few good points. Although the hero complex did get a bit too much sometimes and he often found himself wondering if Natsu was asexual with the amount of interest, or rather lack thereof, he had in girls. Or boys. He'd be a pretty bad parent –and ruler- if he cared about that sort of thing. And being asexual was fine too; not everyone _loved_ their mate. Although it was incredibly, extremely rare. Now that he thought about it, had anyone ever been unattracted to their mate? The beings inhabiting the world of Tornor -dragons especially- simply _needed_ them. Most yearned for the comfort of their mate even before they hit puberty. Living without a mate was living without half of your soul. Literally.

"The time the idiot blew up the girls change room was good too. The looks on their faces." A slight twitching of Igneel's left eye made itself present as he turned to his laughing nephew.

"And what, pray tell, is so funny about that?" At the menacing tone Gray yelped and promptly shut up. The old man may not act like it much, but he was still the Flame King and a force to be reckoned with. And people wondered where Natsu got it from.

"I wonder when he'll finally get back here. I know he doesn't act like it, but there has to be some form of brain rattling around in his skull. Surely he's simmered down by now."

Before Igneel could answer; honestly, he didn't even think Natsu was really _listening_ when he told him how to get back, the door to the room slammed open and a puffed Wendy ran inside. About five meters away from the dais she stopped so suddenly that her blue hair kept flowing forward without her.

"Large dragon *pant* incoming *huff* fast!"

Before another word could be uttered, she pivoted on the ball of her foot and ran back out of the room, signalling for the two males to follow. Looking to each other briefly, one with widened eyes and the other with a deep scowl, they quickly stood and followed the fleeing princess.

In mere minutes they had climbed the staircase and were rushing along the top of the outer wall, trailing after Wendy. She stopped suddenly and Gray only just managed not to crash straight into her back. Igneel was already looking out across the lands of Tornor, sharp eyes tracking the tiny black spec on the horizon, which was moving steadily closer. In fact, at the rate it was growing, it seemed the dragon was flying straight for the castle at top speed. Something, Igneel speculated, to be about 130km an hour.

Within the next five, incredibly tense, minutes the mystery dragon was already close enough that they could make out the distinct shape of its head and the mysterious blue and white thing seated atop it. Igneel looked at the pitch black dragon, trying to think of where he'd seen it before. Something about him was familiar but not, at the same time. The shape of its midnight wings, the way he held his body and the slight curve of his spine. Even the horns crowning his head and the deadly looking spikes running down the length of its body.

Wendy gasped and all attention instantly turned toward her, both males noticing the wide smile with slight confusion.

"It's Natsu!" She crowed happily, beginning to jump up and down on the spot before she stilled suddenly and her face paled.

"I have to get Romeo." With that she was off, jumping straight over the stone wall and plunging towards the cobblestones of the courtyard. At the very last moment she tuned and let a stream of air flow from her mouth, slowing her decent and giving her time to land delicately on her feet.

The distinct sounds of the portcullis raising broke them from their momentary shock. It wasn't every day that _Wendy_ forgot herself and jumped headfirst into action. Either male doubted they had ever seen her do anything with such enthusiasm.

Igneel turned his attention back to the black dragon, who was apparently his long absent son, and watched as he landed close to the main gate. The blue and white thing, which they could now clearly see was a faerie, climbed off his head and half fluttered-half fell onto the ground. The dragon shook his head in mirth, clearly enjoying the faeries discomfort, before jumping up, straight into the air. A golden light encased the large body, flaring out before rapidly shrinking into a humanoid form, leaving a grinning Natsu behind.

"Well, there's no mistaking _that_ pink mop." Gray mumbled unenthusiastically before he turned and followed Wendy's retreat, letting his back fall towards the earth. Mere moments before hitting the ground his wings ripped from his shoulder blades, catching his dissent.

Igneel simply managed a worn sigh, jumping off the wall and landing in a crouch right in front of the open gateway. His wife sighed and muttered something about dramatics as she took his hand in her own. He could feel the nervous excitement fluttering through their bond. How different would Natsu be now? How much had he grown in his time in exile?

Wendy and Romeo came running up behind them, hands clasped tightly together, mate marks glowing against their skin. Wendy was bouncing slightly, wanting desperately to just run out to her brother and _hug_ him. It had been so long since she'd seen his face, heard his voice or felt the warmth and safety of her big brothers embrace. He was the one who chased away her nightmares and held her when she cried. He was the one who beat up the bullies and told her not to listen because he thought she was the most beautiful girl of all. He taught her about strength and fearlessness and unconditional love. Most of all, he'd given her confidence. He was her big brother and she _loved_ him and what in the nine realms of Tartarus was taking him so long?!

As if to answer her unspoken question, Natsu rounded the corner and walked through the archway, the faerie thrown over his shoulder. His hand was sitting on her upper thigh, causing smirks and conspiratorial glances to pass between the members of the waiting party. Who'd have thought Natsu had it in him?

Looking up and seeing his family, Natsu gently lowered Lucy to the ground and held his hand out for her to take. Which she didn't. In fact, he was pretty sure she was in shock.

"Nice one Natsu, she's actually pretty cute. How much did you have to pay her?"

It was as if Gray's comment had shocked her back to life, Lucy turned on him and slapped his hand away from her, growling slightly. No doubt about being carried like a 'sack of potatoes'. Natsu seriously doubted that she'd ever even seen a sack of potatoes but whatever, she was his weirdo.

"You might want to wait until you get to your room before you start feeling her up though."

His eye twitched. Lucy turned beet red. A deep growl built within his chest. Lucy hid her face in her hands. His fists clenched and unclenched in an honest attempt to remain in control and _not beat the living snot_ out of Gray within the first five minutes of being home.

"I was holding her skirt down you stupid pervert." He growled out and listened contentedly to the sounds of five hands meeting flesh. Oh, how he'd missed playing the 'naive card'. Unlike Lucy, who had the peculiar ability to see through any and all of his bullshit, his family literally thought he was missing a few -or most- brain cells. And most natural instincts. And they had the audacity to call him stupid.

"Come inside, I'm sure we're all eager to know about what's happened while you were away, Natsu. I know for a fact, Gray has been missing you." Ever the peace maker, Wendy stepped forward and held out her hand to Lucy, eager to meet the only girl to ever catch her brother's attention. It wasn't everyday –or ever- that Natsu Dragneel brought a girl home. Especially such a pretty one.

"I'm Wendy Dragneel, the sky maiden. It's nice to meet you."

"L-Lucy Heartfilia. Natsu has talked about you a lot." With her words, Lucy took Wendy's offered hand and let herself be pulled inside the imposing looking fortress. She knew Natsu had her back; he'd spewed enough about nakama back home in Fiore, what was the worst that could happen?


	3. BONUS ROUND: Quite the Catch

**So, hey guys. It's been a while. I was actually writing the next chappy the other day and my laptop broke halfway (5,000 words) in. I hate life sometimes. I didn't even get to save or anything. So, I'm writing you this little 'bonus' chapter (on my mother laptop with the weird keyboard) because one of my lovely, amazing reviewers whom I adore (!) asked for a bit of backstory on Wendy / Romeo. I hope this can make you feel a little better about the wait or something...? :)**

**Just in case anyone is wondering, I use the FT wiki for hair/eye colour/spelling/etc.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own. Hiro Mashima doesn't share.**

**Edit: Just fixed up all my stupid 1am errors. Probably made a few stupid 4am errors...**

* * *

Wendy stalked forward, blue hair meticulously pinned to her head in a series of knots and twists which would put any hairdresser to shame. She paused briefly, letting the light breeze wash over her body as she scented the air for her prey. Being out of the castle grounds was a special treat and she doubted she'd ever be able to pay Natsu back for covering for her this one time.

It wasn't like Wendy to break the rules. Compared to the rest of her family -and kind- she was mild mannered and often viewed as weak. A laughing stock in the midst of greatness. With her small, delicate stature and nervous stutter, she was often shunned by others. Which is why she understood her parents need to keep her within their sights at all times. Factor in the three elder brothers -well, one brother and two cousins- and she never really had a chance at true freedom.

Not that she didn't love her family. She did. She _really_ loved them. It just got boring.

Although, boredom didn't account for what she was doing out here, in the woods near Lake Aruna, while her parents were being 'strategically' distracted by her brother. She took the time to briefly wonder what her... _eccentric_ brother would come up with, but quickly put it out of her mind. Natsu may act dumb 99% -make that 99.99%- of the time, but when it came to pranks or fights, he was suddenly a genius.

Thoughts of her mischievous brother always managed to make a smile crawl its way across her delicate features and this time was no different.

Well, it was a little different. This time, she was alone. And free!

With the small smile still etched upon her features, she continued on her personal quest. She had to move fast.

* * *

Half an hour later found the young dragon slowing down as she approached a small glade. She'd been running, tracking the strange scent which made her senses tingle, all over the forest. It was almost like her prey -whatever it was- knew it was being hunted. Which it most likely did, since she'd never really been taught how to hunt stealthily. Until this point, she'd been using the same methods she'd picked up from Gray over the years, generally when he would freeze Natsu to his bed in the middle of the night. That, and as a sky dragon, she was naturally light on her feet.

Wendy cautiously moved forward, all systems on high alert, until she reached the very edge of the clearing. Almost immediately her guard dropped completely. Turns out it was just a weird smelling boy. _Nothing new there_. Although, she had to admit, being so close made her feel a little giddy. He smelt _really_ good.

He was standing in the dead centre of the small area, soaking up the sunlight like the lizard, she could tell, he was. Upon closer inspection, he appeared to be about her own age, with dark purple locks and navy eyes. He was staring at her with an intensity that made her shiver, despite the sudden heatwave.

The mystery boy blinked a few times, eyes roaming over her figure before apparently deeming that she posed no threat, and letting his own guard down.

She wasn't sure why, but it made her angry. Actually, scratch that, she knew exactly why. She might not be big and muscled and imposing like Gajeel or icy and intimidating like Gray or intense and incredibly powerful like Natsu but that didn't mean she was weak. She could, she could, she... she could feel tears starting to form in her eyes and smell the scent of salt water.

Why couldn't she ever be good enough? Was she really that pathetic that this boy wasn't scared of her at all? What kind of d-r-a-g-o-n wasn't terrifying, even to members of their own kind?

Before she'd even noticed it, a gale had surrounded her body, feeding on her emotional turbulence. The slicing winds cut through everything in their path, shredding plant life beyond recognition. Scales started to bubble out from under her skin; amber, silver and white spreading along her limbs and over her collar bones. She could just feel her wings begin to tear their way through flesh as they fought to be released when a warm, -blue, purple, white and black- scaled hand grabbed her's, their fingers lacing between her own.

Startled out of her mini break down, Wendy's teary brown eyes locked with his dark, navy orbs.

"Hey, I-I'm sorry. Please calm down." His voice was soothing and almost instantly she felt better. The hand holding her own squeezed briefly, before letting go as he took a step back.

"S-s-s-sorry. I didn't m-mean to g-get all w-w-worked up." Wendy rubbed her balled fists over her eyes, willing away her anxious stutter and the lump which had taken root in her throat.

"It's alright, I get it." His tone was soft, like he was talking to a frightened animal.

"You're Wendy, right?" He asked as he flashed her a wide grin, reminding her briefly of her brother. Despite the similarity, she was slightly concerned about how he could possibly have recognised her. Didn't Gajeel once say something about stalkers and kidnappers?

"Sorry, I'm Romeo. You're brother helps my dad out sometimes." Oh. Well, that would explain it. She was pretty sure Natsu had mentioned something about a Macao and Romeo. Plus, something in her gut told her to trust him.

"I-I'm Wendy. Nice t-t-to meet y-you?" She whispered, looking down at her feet. Never before had grass been quite so riveting to the young princess. But when he laughed softly, she had to look up.

His eyes were almost completely closed in amusement, a closed lipped smile dominating his face as he tried to stifle the sound. Not that it was much good. Add in Wendy's enhanced hearing, and his results were less than satisfactory. Not that she really minded. She quite liked his soft, breathy laughter. It made a foreign warmth bubble up in her chest and she desperatly wanted to always be able to make him laugh.

And with that thought in mind, she forgot how to breath.

* * *

Moments later, she was sitting on the ground, legs crossed and head in her hands as she tried to sort through all her jumbled thoughts. She had only just started to learn about this from her tutor. From what she'd been taught it wasn't supposed to happen yet. Or this way. Everything she'd learnt so far had explained the process clear and simple.

First, at the age of about one hundred, dragons would go through 'puberty' or their coming of age. Then, as a female, she should start to wander until she'd found a place she liked and settled down. Since dragons were matriarchal, the male would then come to her. They would fight, a proof of strength to the naturally stronger female and if they were mates the mark would appear. Soon after, she'd begin to have these feelings. Only males were supposed to start with the whole mushy feelings thing!

To test out her hypothesis, there was only one plausible option: attack him. And so, without further thought, she stood up and walked over to Romeo; who by this stage was watching her worriedly.

With a quick inhale of air, she felt her lungs and throat change, morphing into that of her dragon form to protect her from her own attack. A single roar was all it would take. Although, if he wasn't her mate, this would probably kill him.

"ROAR."

The previously quiet forest shook with the force of her fully charged dragon roar, a large number of trees completely uprooted by the attack.

Which, in turn, simply made her worried for the young boy. When she couldn't find him straight away, she began to search the surrounding area for any trace of him. What she found didn't really abate her fears.

His body was lying on one of the smaller fallen trees, one arm bent at an awkward angle, probably from trying to shield himself last minute. Pinning his legs, was a large oak, the trunk of which was wider than his body was tall. Every inch of uncovered skin was bloody, no doubt it was completely shredded along with his clothes. Not much could stand up to a dragon's roar.

Ok. So, maybe she'd overdone it.

Working quickly, she began to eat the air around her. This time she would be a bit more careful where she aimed. As she was about to attack, a burning sensation wrapped around her upper right arm. She grit her teeth through the pain, raising both her arms and sending two slicing winds at the large oak. It split nicely, the wind stopping just shy of Romeo.

Once she'd made sure he was safe and used her remaining power to heal his badly injured arm and stop the majority of the bleeding she inspected her arm.

In a band, wrapping around the entire width of her upper arm, was an intricate, swirled pattern. As she tilted her arm, the colours seemed to shimmer and change, creating a rainbow effect. It was the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen. Tears slowly ran down her cheeks and she glanced down at the boy whose head rested upon her lap. Maybe following the rules wasn't so important after all.

She smiled softly and began to run her fingers through his wild hair, nails lightly scratching his scalp as she worked through all the tangles. Never in her life had she felt so content to just sit in silence. In fact, never in all seventy years of her existence, had she felt such deep peace.

* * *

**Ok, so hopefully that wasn't too bad and you found a little backstory interesting or enjoyable.**

**Please tell me if you want another one. There are a few other couples who don't get the spotlight who do have weird, wacky or violent meetings. And it doesn't have to be a couple. If you're wanting Gajeel and Natsu's epic fight or something, then I'm more than happy to oblige, especially when I can't give you the next (real) chapter yet. And I'm so looking forward to your thoughts on that one...**

**Please review! It makes my life happier and the inspiration come much quicker.**

**:D**


	4. Hot Water or Thin Ice?

**Eeep, I'm so excited to be back. I was seriously lacking in inspiration but I read quite the… intense NaLu (Uncharted Territory by Nicole4211 if you're interested) and was feeling a little inspired. I was worried 'cause I kinda suck at romance but I'm trying to write **_**similar**_ **to her NaLu interactions. So, I tried to get some fire in their bellies. I've also started to read the manga. I was putting it off until I bought it -I hate reading on my computer- but... It'll take a while to get it where I live. Sigh. And you know about my laptop breaking. It's all fixed now! Yay!**

**This chapter is a bit longer than the previous ones. I'm super excited and I'm the one who wrote it! I should probably mention that in each chapter I'm trying out different writing styles and POV's and stuff so… it'll be a bit different from chapter to chapter.**

**I'm sure you've heard enough about me, if you're one of those people who actually reads these, so without further ado, I give you chapter three.**

* * *

Natsu pushed the thick wooden door open with his back. He ushered the blonde faerie through the archway and into the room which he hadn't stepped a foot into for over a decade. Maybe he should have gone first.

From Lucy's gasp, he figured it was bad. Walking around the corner he leaned against the smooth stone walls and ran a hand through his thick salmon hair. Well, that wasn't as bad as he thought. It seemed like one of the maids had been through a few times while he was away. Or maybe, when they saw him come in. That was a bit more likely.

"Natsu, how is it so clean? Your place is never clean." It was probably the pure shock in Lucy's voice that had him pouting. Not fair. That was literally one time.

Without answering he walked past her, venturing further into the room he grew up in. It hadn't changed a bit. The smooth sandstone walls were cool under his light touch as his fingertips trailed along, slightly behind him. His two leather armchairs were still positioned facing the large French doors which lead onto his balcony. Outside, the ornate wrought iron railings were still standing, despite his father's protests. Roses were perfectly 'manly'.

He moved, letting muscle memory take over, as he slipped into the next room. His large four poster bed sat in the middle of the room, dominating the open space. The bed clothes had been changed sometime in his exile; the once black and gold sheets were now a deep blue. They looked soft and his tired body was practically singing for its embrace. He'd really been gone for too long, hadn't he? Profound sadness suddenly pulsed through him. He'd really messed up. All those years he's missed Wendy growing up and fighting with Gray and Gajeel. Meeting Laxus in Fiore had almost brought him to tears. Laxus. Tears. Laxus. It was just wrong on so many levels.

Warm arms wrapped around his waist, drawing him into a soft body. Her scent brushed against his senses and mixed with his own as she held him. He could feel her heart beat steadily through his back. It was relaxing and frustrating at once. Did she realize the effect she had on him? Could she feel the way his heart was racing from her touch? Could she tell his mouth was dry, waiting to be sealed against her own? Was it obvious that his fingers were itching where they rested against his thighs, wanting nothing more than to pull her into his arms? He groaned deep in his throat as he turned and pushed her body away from his. He needed to remember his time limit here.

"It's ok, Luce. Why don't we just go to sleep? We'll sort it all out in the morning." A sleepy yawn was his only response and he watched, dark eyes trailing her every move, as she climbed atop his bed and settled to the right. Her lithe body curled into a loose ball, a hand slipping under the pillow while the other curled beside her peaceful face. Natsu followed her, crawling across the sheets before sliding his body up right behind her own. He would lie here and keep her warm until she fell asleep and hopefully he'd have returned before the last traces of his warmth had faded from her side.

* * *

"So, how'd 'it' go?" Natsu had barely closed the library door when Gray threw the question everyone had been dying to ask since he got home. Actually, it was probably the only question they'd avoided during the two hour 'inquisition'. The pinkette shrugged.

"I didn't really notice. There was just a month where everything would set me off. Some jerk would say something about Luce and she'd have to hold me back."

"Darn, is she really that powerful?" The awe in Gray's tone riled him up a bit. True, he accepted that Luce was amazing. Was it possible for him to fall for anything less? Not likely. He just didn't want every other guy within a, maybe 3000 mile radius -was that too short? Maybe- to know. And show interest. Gods, the humans were bad enough. At least until she was his. Then he would be comfortable to show off how freaking perfect she was.

"She's Luce." He shrugged. He'd let Gray take that however he wanted to. Right now his attention was elsewhere. Well, mainly on the books towering above their heads. Would Luce like this room? Should he bring her here tomorrow or save it for the next time he pissed her off enough that drastic actions were needed?

"So, flame head, are you gonna take her to Pel?" How typical of Gray, to bring up the topic Natsu really didn't want to talk about. Or think over, really. Stay or go?

"She has the right to know her ancestry, her powers. I'll let her decide herself in the morning. Knowing her, she'll want to set out straight way." Why did faeries have to be so flighty? Most humans too, now that he thought it over. What made them so different from his own kind?

Dragons preferred to live alone, or with their mate and small hatchlings, but together. Hence, the huge castle and small number of occupants. Eight dragons, including the currently absent Gajeel and his father, Metalicana, were spread over the five floors and four turrets of the castle. Everyone was related -with the slight exception of Romeo, being Wendy's mate- and real, intense fighting -often between the three unmated males- was seldom seen. While a dragon craved space they were also social animals and loyal to a fault. Family was everything.

"If that's the case, then I'd like to come with you. I have… business to discuss with the Titania."

"Ah. Who is that?" Slap. Ah, there really was nothing like the feeling of making someone face palm, Natsu decided, veiling his mirth. It really was outrageous how little his family thought of him. Even Gajeel had more faith than this lot.

"Titania is q-u-e-e-n of the fae." Ok. He hadn't meant it quite that literally.

In fae society, the royalty were elected every decade. To be elected every candidate, including the current Titania -if she wanted to keep her title- must face a number of challenges. They tested strength, endurance, intelligence, intuition, magical abilities, flight, speed and pretty much everything else. At one stage, the participants were even tortured. Royalty was often targeted, after all. Not to mention, faeries were scary. Like, Luce on a bad day and she'd just spoken to her father and been compared to Minerva and he'd finally made her snap, kind of scary. They were fierce, never backed down from a fight and their pride was the size of a small country. Possibly the scariest thing though, was that they never, ever made a threat. It was a promise and they _always_ kept their promises.

"Who is the titania, Gray?" A little exasperation must have slipped into his tone because Gray was giving him _that_ look. The intense stare down which meant he was onto you.

"Erza."

"Oh shit."

* * *

Lucy woke up bright and early the next morning feeling uncharacteristically content. And warm. A tanned arm was draped over her side, another wrapped underneath her body and clasped at her waist. Against her back, her dragon was sleeping peacefully, his breathing deep and even. Every rise of his chest had her own body moving forward slightly, which in turn caused his arms to tighten and bring her back, flush against his toned body. And what a body it was. She could feel his well-defined muscles rippling against her spine, the faint brush of his nipples and flexing biceps. Never in her life, had Lucy felt more protected and precious than right at that moment, lying in his arms.

It was nice but she needed to get up. It had been almost 24 hours since she'd last showered and it was starting to show. Lucy pulled at Natsu's arms, undoing his possessive hold and slipping from the warm bed. With one last look over her shoulder she moved into the adjacent bathroom to shower. Within a few moments the blankets moved, a low groan seeming to echo through the room.

When she returned Natsu was already up, clean and dressed for the day. He sat, perched on the edge of his bed, watching her like a hawk. The look she was getting made her gulp and lick her suddenly dry lips. Her eyes roved over his form, discretely tracing the firm muscles and golden skin. She could feel her breathing become a little closer to pants as her heart rate just about doubled. How could he be so sexy without trying?

"So, what are we doing today?" She kept her voice perky and excited, trying to mask the lust in her tone.

"Well actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go to a place called Pel. It's… it's the faerie capital and about half a day's journey." His voice was nervous, she noted as she thought over his question. He knew she'd want to visit her people and learn a bit about herself. A few flying lessons could come in handy too.

"Of course." Without another word, he nodded and took her hand, leading her out of his rooms and down into the foyer where they met up with Gray.

"Time to go?" He questioned, picking up the small bag lying beside him and handing it to Lucy.

"Would you mind holding it for me? It's just hard to hold onto something so small when we're in dragon form." He explained quickly. She laughed slightly, grinning up at the dark haired male. It was nice to be around someone who was polite again, although it was a little hard to see the family resemblance. Natsu was so loud and forward while Gray was all calculating and quiet. Almost like opposites…

Lucy stepped back as Natsu transformed, shielding her eyes from the bright, golden light emanating from his skin. By the time she deemed it safe to look again, he was already a monstrous onyx dragon. She walked up to him, noticing for the first time, that the underside of his legs and tail were covered in pure, golden scales. She climbed quickly up his foreleg, using the three burgundy spikes as handholds to heave herself over onto his back. From there she used the long black spines to navigate her way to his head, seating herself behind his horns. A cold wind seemed to blow from beside her and she turned her head to see Gray.

He was thinner and slightly longer than Natsu, with dark navy blue scales dominating most of his body. However, the webbing on his wings and his underbelly were a silvery blue. Two navy horns sat atop his head, matching the short spines which travelled down his back and tipped his tail. Where Natsu's head was broader, with webbing framing the sides of his face, everything about Gray was more streamlined. To be honest, both looked equally intimidating and Lucy was quite glad she knew these boys before seeing them like this. No doubt, she would have run for the hills or something.

_Hang on Luce. _As soon as Natsu had warned her, he began to flap his giant, midnight wings. He ran at the cliff, Lucy holding onto his horns with an iron grip, and pushed off the edge. His wings caught the wind and they were ascending, beginning their journey.

* * *

"Hey, what's that?" Lucy asked, pointing to the long dark shape on the horizon. It looked like the sky and earth were merged.

_That would be the Asech forest. _Gray answered, his tone dark. She looked over at the other dragon, waiting for the rest of the story. She could practically feel the excitement coursing through the idiot she was currently sitting atop. She could also pick up Gray's anxiety.

_It's been raining there for over 100 years. It started when we were still hatchlings. _Now probably wasn't the time to ask how old they were exactly. She'd always just assumed Natsu was about her own age. That's awkward. So now she was crushing on a guy over a century her senior.

_It's said that a malevolent spirit lives there, cursing creatures with the constant rain._ Well, that wasn't what she was expecting.

"So, if the rain's a curse then heading into it is a bad thing, right?" Anxiety cracked through her voice.

_Yeah, no one's ever made it out alive. _It looked like they were in deep shit. Rain suddenly began to lash at the dragons hides, soaking Lucy in seconds. The water was freezing and felt like shards of glass cutting away at her skin. She struggled to keep her eyes open through the onslaught, suddenly finding herself feeling lethargic. Natsu and Gray's wings were definitely not beating as often, or with the same strength, as they were moments before.

Down they fell, rocketing towards the earth at tremendous speed. Natsu shook his head, dislodging Lucy and sending her flying out to the right. At the last minute, his tail curved around, smacking into her side and vaulting her back towards the hulking beast. By now Natsu had curved his body, catching Lucy and clutching her against his stomach. He was now falling with his back toward the ground. The spines along his back had already flattened themselves, ready for impact. Lucy noticed his wings were still fully outstretched, bending backwards at an uncomfortable looking angle to catch as much air as possible.

_Don't worry so much Luce. I'm kinda built for this, remember?_ Although it did little to ease her nerves, the thought of Natsu training for crash landings did make her smile a little. With how much his family trusted in his abilities, it wasn't really all that hard to believe. Her poor dragon.

A moment later and they made contact with the ground. It was less painful than Lucy expected, the force more jarring than anything. Although, she'd been protected by Natsu, who looked a little worse for wear. He wheezed a little as she slid off his stomach and into the ankle deep swamp water. She splashed around to his face to make sure he was really alright. She always found it easiest to judge Natsu by looking into his eyes. They were so expressive and seemed bottomless. She could happily spend hours getting lost in his eyes. At the moment though, they seemed clear and she allowed him to roll onto his stomach and stand up.

Not a second too soon, Lucy was picked up by Gray's backpack. A powerful torrent of water hit the spot where she was just standing, smashing Gray and Natsu apart. The water streamed back to the centre of the clearing they'd crashed into until it formed what Lucy guessed was a water sprite. It was the only thing her mother had told her of which would match her description.

She had long, wavy blue hair and big, dark blue eyes. Despite being made of water, she could easily have passed as human, once she'd fully solidified. She was beautiful and something about her made Lucy feel unrelenting grief.

_That's it, now I'm all fired up._ Before he could even move to set her down Lucy turned and glared at the male behind her. Something within her said that Gray should handle it. The sadness and pain she could feel radiating from the sprite didn't sit well with her. If these were the sprite's emotions than they should be trying to help her, rather than fight.

"Natsu, I want you to leave this to Gray. Gray, could you please transform back? I think she just needs help." Gray nodded his head once, signifying that he heard and agreed before crouching and letting himself shift into his humanoid form. From beside her, Natsu sighed, placing her back on the ground and resting his snout beside her thigh. He nudged her twice, until she reached out and started to rub the scales around his horns. A deep, rumbling purr echoed through the space and they all turned to look at him incredulously. And he'd told people off in the past for not being able to read the atmosphere.

Lucy turned back to the impending fight. She watched as Gray stalked forward, his movements precise and his eyes calculating. It was something she'd seen Natsu do a few times, but only when he was really serious. It looked like Gray was ready to give this fight his all. The temperature suddenly started to drop, Natsu smirking -as much as a giant lizard could smirk- and an icy mist began to flow off Gray in waves. The water sprite narrowed her eyes.

_Luce, he's going to make a sword of ice that freezes all it touches._ She looked at Natsu, surprised he could tell what Gray was going to do. All she'd seen was him walking towards the sprite. She turned back to the two opponents, waiting to see if Natsu was right. Seconds later, Gray was moving, at speeds she almost couldn't keep up with, wielding a sword. Just as he was about the slash through the sprite, her body fell back into the puddle and a wall of water crashed into him from behind. Although it pushed him forward, Gray managed to swivel his body and strike the deadly mass of water. It froze instantly.

Meanwhile the sprite reformed out of the rain, standing atop the frozen wave. With a hardened expression and clenched fists she glared down at Gray and the ice stated to melt. At the last second Gray jumped away, landing nimbly on a tree branch while the boiling water smashed across the clearing.

Lucy was rather glad she'd decided to jump back onto Natsu's back as boiling water washed along his sides and he sighed contentedly.

_Nice choice, Luce. Gray's going to fire ice bullets at her, followed by making an ice geyser. If that doesn't work he'll use an ice dragon roar._ Taking his word for it, she decided to sit back and watch the show.

Gray threw his arms back, summoning more of his power; he froze the rain and directed it at the sprite, watching as the deadly shards sped towards their target. Without wasting a moment, he jumped down and placed his palms on the ground beneath the water. A massive, spiked structure grew rapidly, taking up the centre of the battle ground. The sprite was hit by one of the spikes and the force knocked her onto her back. Gray jumped up into the air, summoning his wings and breathing in rapidly. Once he was directly above the sprite, Gray unleashed his ice roar straight into the sprite. It was an attack meant to kill other dragons.

_This chick's seriously strong. To survive a dragons roar… _Lucy practically wept upon hearing that the sprite was still alive. Gray's last attack; it honestly scared her. It was vicious and everything in the surrounding area was frozen solid.

"Juvia cannot die while the rain falls." The sprite struggled to her feet, her hand covering her thigh which was glowing in a silvery light. Glancing over at Gray, Lucy noticed that the same light was coming from beneath his shirt collar.

_No way._ Even within her mind, Natsu's voice was filled with excitement and awe, making Lucy feel like she was seriously missing something. Catching Gray's shocked expression doubled it. She watched with curious eyes as Gray dropped down to Juvia's side, moving her hand away from her thigh. An intricate chain of navy snowflakes wrapped around her leg and Gray hesitantly brushed his finger pads across the marking. It was beautiful.

_It's a mate mark, Luce. He has a similar one on his chest. Something that symbolises her. It means-it means they're two halves of one soul._

* * *

Lucy and Natsu discretely moved away, letting them talk privately. It was so romantic that all Lucy could do was sigh wistfully and sneak glances at the male beside her. The consistent breathy noise was driving Natsu insane. So, he promptly told her. And then called her a weirdo. The stupid, insufferable, infuriating jerk.

Upon finishing their discussion, Gray and Juvia walked over, joining the two who seemed to be engaged in a silent -or rather, telepathic- war. Judging from Natsu's facial expressions and his idiocy, Lucy was winning. Not really too much of a surprise there.

"Juvia would like to apologise. Juvia is very sorry for attacking you. Juvia didn't mean to hurt anyone. She was just scared." Lucy watched as the sprite looked like she was about to start balling.

"Ah, there's nothing to worry about?" Somehow her reassurance came out more as a question -earning her twin glares- but it seemed to calm down the bluenette.

"Juvia would like to ask if you're fae." Lucy blinked in rapid succession. Was she supposed to tell her to go ahead or just answer?

"Yes?" Just answering seemed to do the trick, if Juvia's smile was anything to go by.

"A long time ago, Juvia was cursed. Juvia has lived here, in the forest, to try not to hurt anyone. Juvia can only hold off the rain for a little while." Natsu broke off his silent communication with Gray and turned towards the two females.

_We're heading to Pel at the moment. You could always tag along._ Juvia looked ecstatic, revealing the largest smile Lucy had ever seen. The sight had the corners of her own mouth uplifting. She could already feel the light, bubbling happiness overtaking the deep sadness that had previously consumed Juvia. The sprite slipped up Natsu's side, landing next to Lucy and squeezed her in her arms.

* * *

**How did I go? Good? Bad? I did try really hard on this chapter so pretty please leave a review. Even just a little ' :) ' would be nice or a ' :/ ' or whatever. I'm not picky.**

**'To be in hot water' and 'skating on thin ice' both mean you're in trouble. Just in case you're wondering.**

**Also, I still don't own the characters (Hiro Mashima) or the place names (Elizabeth A. Lynn) but the plot, that's probably also been used before now that I really think about it… I guess I own nothing. Darn.**

_**This chapter is dedicated to the amazing Anna. Because she is amazing. And sweet. :D**_


	5. Let Sleeping Dragons Lie

_**This chapter is dedicated to my stalker buddy, ASF! It most likely would have taken another month or something without her kind words and encouragement.**_

**Fun Fact: The ending is actually the first thing I wrote for this whole fic. Everything else came after meaning, this is my favourite chapter!**

**I don't really feel the need to do disclaimers anymore; if you feel strong, adverse feelings about this look to the last few chapters. You'll find I own nothing. d:**

**It's 6am. I did another one of those all nighters to write this out. If there are mistakes feel free to tell me. I don't bite. Promise.**

*** The hedge mentioned is Boxwood. It smells nasty. Calla Lilies are very pretty, Google them if you have the chance. They're often used in bouquets. **

**Onwards with the story!**

* * *

They reached Pel within a few hours, Lucy practically pushing herself off Natsu's side as she tried to take in the entire floating city at once. They flew straight to the centre of town, and landed inside the outer walls of the spectacular castle.

Immediately guards rushed to their sides, helping Lucy and Juvia off their companions. There was a pause as the two dragons transformed before the party was escorted into a large, grandeur foyer. Each person they passed, no matter their station, would bow to the young fire dragon. A few even welcomed him back and asked of his stay in the human realm. It was vastly different from any experience Lucy had ever encountered. Not even the people of Tornor had made such a fuss of Natsu.

"They're just scared he'll burn down the whole city again." Gray leant over and stage whispered in Lucy's ear.

"Again?" She squeaked, looking up at Natsu. He only scowled at the hand resting on Lucy's shoulder and growled under his breath until Gray withdrew.

When their escort returned they were ushered into a large drawing room. Gray and Juvia seated themselves on an elaborately embroidered apple green love seat. They spoke, heads together, in hushed whispers. Occasionally Juvia would laugh quietly while Gray gazed at her fondly.

Meanwhile, Lucy chose to walk around the circular room. Her fingers just stopping short of tracing the brush strokes on the paintings decorating the walls. Or the fine carvings in the furniture. Or the soft pink and orange calla lilies which decorated the mantle piece. Everything in the room added to the delicate tranquillity and it mesmerised her.

Outside it began to rain.

"Juvia is sorry. Juvia couldn't hold it back any longer." The blonde faerie glanced back at the couple seated together. A soft smile graced her features. This room was so reminiscent of her own mothers favourite parlour.

"Don't worry, child. A little rain will do us some good." A short, elderly man spoke as he entered the room. Lucy let her eyes wander briefly over his figure. There was something about him that made her feel nostalgic. Even though she was sure she'd never seen anyone dressed quite as… colourfully as him. The orange and blue striped hat was rather cute though.

"Hey there gramps!" Natsu crossed the room in three strides and lifted the man up in an exuberant hug.

"So, did you miss me?" He asked cheekily, putting the old man back on the ground.

"Why would I miss a public menace?" Ah, that sounded more like it.

"Finally, someone who understands my pain." Lucy moaned into her hands. The elderly man looked at her for the first time and she noticed his eyes widening. He glanced quickly between the four occupants before settling on Natsu.

"Would you mind explaining, boy?" As if struck by lightning, Natsu jumped back to Lucy. He threaded his arm around her waist and held her to his side.

"Well gramps, this is Luce. Luce, this is Makarov." She nodded slowly, stretching out her hand in greeting.

"It's actually Lucy." She said quickly. Just because Natsu had _never_ addressed her properly didn't mean everyone could.

"It's nice to meet you, Lucy. Would I be correct in guessing it's your first time here?" He grasped her hand firmly while looking between the two. The slight, mischievous twinkling in his eyes had Lucy blushing. Now she was hyper aware of Natsu's warmth beside her. The protective way he was holding her. The rhythm of his heart. This boy was going to be the death of her.

"Yeah. I grew up in… the human realm?"

"Follow me then, we'll test out your abilities and teach you how to control your powers." Without another word, Makarov turned and left.

Once they began walking Makarov turned back to the small group. He seemed deep in thought.

"Gray, would you mind escorting Juvia to the throne room? Mavis will be waiting there for you. A young pixie foretold your arrival. She has a potion that should lessen the effects of your curse." Juvia stared at Makarov with wide eyes before turning to Gray.

"Don't let Natsu near the pixies. You'll never pull him away." Gray quickly whispered in Lucy's ear before nodding to everyone and leading Juvia down a different route.

* * *

Lucy tugged on Natsu's hand as they followed Makarov through the maze of halls, out of the palace and into a large building. They entered the first unoccupied room they came across. In the centre was a large training ring. A slight glow was emanating from the tall wooden barrier encasing it. Three lines cut across the floor. They split the oval ring into quarters. Makarov opened a door and let Lucy step in. Sand trickled into her strappy sandals. She promptly removed them and threw them over to Natsu.

Once she was positioned roughly in the centre of the room she turned to Makarov. He smiled gently at her and tension she wasn't even aware of fled from her muscles.

"Right now we're just going to test your instincts and basic control." Lucy nodded and closed her eyes. She had always found it useful when trying to bring back the martial arts training she'd done with her mother.

Focusing her senses she moved to the right, ducked and then jumped in quick succession. Her wings unfolded in response and she hovered briefly. To her left she felt movement. She dropped. She curled her spine upon impact and, using her momentum, rolled across the floor. If she was correct in her assumptions then her opponent was predominantly attacking her left side. Interesting.

Deciding to follow her instincts, she performed three backflips and landed facing Makarov once more. Feeling the air charge she threw herself to the right, letting the attack hit her. The sand pushed her a few metres away from the centre but now she was in position for her counter attack. It didn't take much to dodge and weave through the rapid volley of attacks before she was close enough to Makarov to _feel_ his magical energy. It was akin to the gentle warmth of sunlight hitting your skin.

Lucy reached out and tapped him twice on the top of his head before opening her eyes. He was looking up at her with a strange expression on his face. A certain self-conscious unease bubbled in her stomach. She searched out Natsu and found the same look in his eyes. Now she officially wanted to curl up in a ball and cry. Had she done something wrong?

Preoccupied with her thoughts, Lucy didn't notice the look shared between the two males. Natsu jumping straight over the fence didn't even register until his arm was firmly wrapped around her shoulders.

"That was amazing, Luce!"

"Huh?" She stared at him, wide eyed and utterly confused, as he affectionately nuzzled her hair. Did he not realise he was causing her heart to just about burst?

On the way there, Gray had explained more about dragons and their mates. She'd never realised that they were such a romantic species. Once they met, a male dragon would never look at another. His mate was everything. He would gladly die to protect her. And their courting rituals! Everything a male did was to make his mate happy and safe. It was bittersweet. Before, she'd entertained the notion that maybe Natsu might like her. Now she knew the truth. It was never going to happen; no matter how much she loved him.

"I have to agree with Natsu." By now she was sure her eyes resembled dinner plates. She'd forgotten what it felt like to be praised by someone, besides Natsu. It was nice. She looked down at her feet and smiled. At least she had this.

"So, are you gonna teach her to fly now, gramps?" She tilted her head and looked up at the rosette.

"Luce, you were in the air for quite a while there." To be honest, it hadn't felt like more than a few seconds.

"Before that, I want to have a quick word with Lucy. Alone." Natsu's whole body tensed. She could feel the unease rolling off him in waves. Without breaking eye contact with Makarov, she placed her hand against his rigid abdominals. It seemed to be enough to snap him out of whatever just happened. Natsu released her immediately.

* * *

Natsu wandered through the halls dejectedly. It had been about an hour since he'd last seen Lucy. He was starting to feel really anxious. Which, he knew logically, there was no reason for. He trusted Makarov more than just about anyone. They were practically family. Whenever he and Gray 'had' to be separated he was sent here to 'play' with Laxus. The older lightning dragon was a bit of a jerk. On his best days. At his worst, Natsu shuddered just thinking about it.

Being apart from Lucy was almost painful. It was making him think of all sorts of ridiculous scenarios. They'd been virtually inseparable for so long that he felt like he was missing a limb or a sense or something.

Not that moping was doing much good. He was pulled as taunt as a bow string. He needed his Luce. Now.

With that thought in mind, he turned and retraced his steps. He would track her scent, find her and feel whole again. Simple.

Following his plan, Natsu ended up outside at the edge of the maze. Oh the memories. Apparently gramps had predicted he'd tail them. Still sharp, despite his decrepit age?

This maze was any dragon's Achilles heel. The leaves gave off a noxious smell, confusing their keen senses and eventually sending them into a deep sleep. Which could only be cured by ingesting the flowers at the very centre of the maze. Last time Natsu -in the company of Laxus- had been challenged to solve the maze they'd managed to burn down half the palace grounds. And most of the city. And the surrounding forest. As it turns out, lightning is good for starting fires. That incident was, funnily enough, the reason that Pel was a _floating_ city.

He entered quietly, breathing through his mouth and began his search. This maze also happened to be the best possible hunting ground. Nothing tested your abilities quite like it. Unless you decided to forfeit stealth. With a wicked grin Natsu shrugged off his vest and let his wings rip through the thin skin encasing them. Sometimes it paid off to be at the top of the food chain.

Well, that was easier than expected. He memorized the path -two lefts, a right, follow straight and take the last left- in seconds before landing and taking off. He naturally adopted a silent lope, hoping to sneak up on his target. Just before he turned the last corner he paused. Luce would kill him if he interrupted something important. He bit back the whine attempting to escape. At least from here he could listen.

"You're sure. Hmm. That's quite a rare gift you have." Natsu frowned. What gift? Why couldn't they discuss this with him?

"It would explain your performance before though." He leaned as close to the foul hedge as possible, straining to hear the conversation.

"Empaths are very uncommon. I can only think of one, besides yourself." Natsu's eyes widened. It seemed his deductions earlier that morning had been correct. Now this was interesting. If Luce had this ability and one assumed it was passed genealogically then she really was related to whom he'd thought. They did look alike...

"Only pure blooded fae can develop any form of empathic powers."

"My father is human." Ah, that was his Luce. His bluntness must be rubbing off on her. Was it normal for that to make him proud?

"Magic doesn't work in straight lines, my dear." She must have looked confused again because Makarov continued.

"Take my grandson for example. His father is a faerie while his mother is a dragon. He is a dragon. He has some fae characteristics but is predominantly draconian."

"In regards to your question earlier, there is a way for you to return home." For the first time in over 100 years of his existence, Natsu felt his blood run cold. His hands were shaking slightly and his breathing was laboured. He needed to get out of here. He flew back the way he'd come, desperately rifling through his brain for a reason Luce would want to leave him. His nails, now resembling talons, were digging into his palms. Bloody pearls ran across tanned flesh. He shouldn't have heard that conversation. He shouldn't have followed them. He shouldn't have come to Pel. He shouldn't have fallen for Luce.

* * *

The first thing Lucy spotted upon their return was the distinct lack of Natsu. Her eyes scoured the training area as if he might magically appear.

"Shall we begin the next part of your training?" She instinctively nodded, more concerned about Natsu's whereabouts then her training. Makarov had already explained that this would be more self focused. The hard part would be finding her power and drawing it out, like water from a well. It would take it's primary form without much instruction or guidance.

She spotted pink -salmon- in her peripheral vision and unconsciously relaxed. Meanwhile, Makarov positioned her on the first of the three lines. He walked to the corresponding line and began to gather his own power.

Trying out a simple meditation technique, Lucy envisioned herself travelling with her breath, drawing deeper into her body with each inhale until she reached the spring of power. She let it flow through her fingers. Imagined it overflowing and slowly filling her body. With one last breath she released it in a violent flash of light.

Her eyes slipped open. Before her stood a tall man, wearing a crisp black suit. His handsome face was framed by tastefully messy orange hair which reminded her of a lion's mane.

"You've finally summoned me, princess. I was beginning to think you didn't love me anymore." His voice was rich like wine and it caressed her senses like a lover.

"I d-don't think I k-know you." She stammered. If his voice was intoxicating then his gaze was hypnotic and predatory.

"I'm truly hurt, princess. If you want, you can just call me your boyfriend." Oh wow. That was lame. But the delivery was oh-so-very perfect. If it wasn't for Natsu growling like a caged animal she might have fallen for his charms.

"I think that's enough Loke. You don't want to wear her out." Makarov called from across the room.

"True. I can think of much better ways to wear her out." He vanished with a smirk and a wink leaving Lucy totally drained. Why did she attract the weird ones?

"Loke's like that with every girl he comes across. He means nothing by it." Between blinks, Makarov had crossed the space and was standing right in front of Lucy. He looked impressed.

"I didn't even need to attack you for your strongest guardian to come forth. Layla would be proud." The statement made her heart squeeze. The old man had known the entire time. It made her wonder what else he was keeping to himself.

"At its most basic, you possess summoning magic. What you did just then was summon one of the twelve celestial guardians. Loke, otherwise known as Leo, the Lion."

"So that's what he meant." She whispered to herself, mind firmly in the past.

"My mother taught me all about the zodiac. I used to pretend they were my friends." She looked up and caught Makarov's eye. She knew her own orbs betrayed nothing but determination. It was time for her final lesson. Flight.

* * *

"Natsu you were laughing." Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, looking away from the cute dragon as he tried -rather unsuccessfully- to hide his chuckles. Her own lips twitched, wanting to join him in his mirth but she had to stand strong, too often did she find herself giving in to his charms.

"Luce, how could I be laughing? Dragons can't laugh." She sucked in her cheeks as he pulled her into the line of his body, effectively locking her against him. An involuntary shiver wracked her frame as his breath ghosted across the back of her neck.

"It's not funny. I bet you weren't much better when you started." She refused to look at him.

"Sure, if you saw someone fly straight into the roof you wouldn't laugh. Just like I didn't laugh. I learned to fly when I was newly hatched. You're almost 20. There is a bit of a difference." She huffed, trying to pull herself from his embrace. He simply pulled her back and proceeded to pepper soft kisses along the tops of her shoulders which just about short circuited her system. What was she angry about again? Oh yeah.

"Natsu Dragneel, I have known you long enough to know that you can laugh. You were laughing. When we get home…" He cut her off before she could finish her threat, turning her around and pushing her body away from his own like she'd burned him.

"When you get home, you're never going to see me again so it doesn't even matter." His trademark grin was absent, the serious expression making him look more mature and intimidating.

"N-Natsu?" She could have cursed herself for the stutter, especially at a time like this. She just didn't understand. Did Natsu not want her around anymore? Was she just a nuisance to him? Did he bring her to Pel hoping that she'd want to stay with her own kind?

"Face facts here Lucy, this is goodbye. I hope you have a great life." With that, she watched him walk away, willing her tears not to come. At least until he was gone. Then she could stop pretending to be so tough. Stop pretending that she wasn't hurting; that her heart wasn't shattering into millions of tiny shards. What did it matter? He was just one boy. There were plenty more. There would be another stupid, silly, crazy, adventurous, loyal, strong, funny, handsome guy to sweep her off her feet. She'd known this day was coming anyway.

"But all I want to stay with you." She whispered to the empty room, voice breaking and tears streaking down her face.

* * *

"Where did we go wrong?!" Igneel questioned, pulling his hair in exasperation.

It wasn't long ago that Natsu had stormed through the foyer, charged up the stairs and entered his suite. Gray had flown in, only moments behind, and headed straight to his own room looking quite dejected. An unsettling feeling had seeped into the other occupants of the castle, especially when they noticed that there was no Lucy trailing after Natsu and apologising for his rude actions. She'd been there for such a short time and they'd already become so accustomed to her presence.

"We didn't do anything wrong, he's just too much like you." Grandine responded, as she sat watching the fire. All the hope they'd had was burning right before their eyes. How stupid did her son have to be to throw away his mate?

"Grandine!" His voice was unnaturally high pitched and whiny, a tone she hadn't heard since they were much younger.

"What? Oh, stop pouting, it's just the truth." She rolled her eyes.

* * *

**As always, feel free to leave a review. Or not. I've kind of given up on them. People just don't want to review… They do make faster chapters and happy authors. Otherwise I'm just writing this for me.**

**Cool.**

**Oh, Gray's warning about the pixies will be explained next chapter.**

**:D**


	6. BONUS ROUND: Like a Fairy Tale

**Here is your second Bonus Round! WARNING: BLOOD / HORROR THEMES**

**I'm changing things up this chapter. I apologise if characters are acting a bit weird, it is purposeful. Mainly because this is all from one characters point of view. They're mostly her opinions. Also, age and experience changes everyone. I'm not even the same person I was last week.**

**I feel the need to write a small Igneel note: so, you've may have noticed that the **_**dragons scales are based off their eye colours**_**. If you hadn't… not like it matters. Igneel has red scales, gold eyes. I'm not writing him with red hair. **_**Natsu's pink -**_**salmon**_**\- hair comes from Grandine's side**_**. Think Porlyusica. Don't have a heart attack!**

*** Glamour is a transformation magic. ***

*** (Anhard) Demons: queens / kings / prince(sses) are just levels of power. ***

* * *

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Layla opened her eyes blearily. A quick glance at the light streaming through her windows made her groan. It was way too early. She huffed lightly, turning over and blowing blonde strands from her face. What could anyone want this early in the morning?

She rolled, pulling her sheets with her, landing on the floor in a tangled mess. She fought off tears at the injustice. And pain. What did a girl have to do to get some quality beauty sleep?

"Princess Layla, the queen wishes to speak with you." Virgo's voice called, before she opened the door and breezed through the room. Upon spotting the blonde sprawled across the floor, her head tilted cutely.

"Princess, why are you on the floor? Is your injury acting up again?" Pure concern washed over Virgo's delicate features.

"Virgo, what have I told you about calling me princess?" Layla held the edge of her bed and heaved herself off the floor, blankets and all. The muscles in her back protested and she held back the automatic flinch. She refused to let anyone feel guilty for what happened. Her guardians already blamed her current, broken state on themselves.

"Yes, sorry Layla." For a moment Virgo sounded as hopeless as Layla felt. The blonde just wanted to draw her friend into a hug and abate all her fears. Was it possible for their fractured family to come together once more? Or had it all been too much?

Each of the faerie's guardians were taking her condition differently. Virgo had thrown herself into working around the palace. Leo was chasing girl after girl. Capricorn was out on some sort of secret mission, behind enemy lines. The twins had taken one of the training halls for themselves. Libra was out, judging case after case. Ares had developed a nervous disposition. Scorpio had decided to take some time off with his girlfriend. Aquarius refused to leave the water. Cancer retired to the Spirit World and opened a hair salon. Sagittarius disappeared into the Eastern Forest. Taurus was working with the guards, increasing security in the palace. The mother and son duo were busy entertaining visitors and castle staff. It saddened her, seeing her family torn apart.

She refused to regret her decision though. As a faerie she was taught to handle problems on her own. She didn't call for their help because she shouldn't have needed any help to begin with.

"Miss Layla, do you need any help?" She nodded and Virgo seemed relieved. The pinkette wrapped a thin arm around Layla's waist and together they shuffled over to her closet. She sat on the leather ottoman just inside the doorway and watched Virgo deftly pull out a cobalt blouse and loose brown pants. She then walked over to Layla's extensive shoe collection and picked out her favourite riding boots.

She defiantly held her breath as Virgo approached. This was the bit she always hated. She was as useful as a babe.

Virgo's hands rested on Layla's shoulders briefly before pulling the ties of her loose nightgown. She watched as the pure white satin slid down and pooled in her lap. Her fingers curved into fists at her sides. Virgo's fingertips brushed against the bandages wrapping around the blonde's figure, hiding the hideous disfigurement from sight. Her touch trailed, feather light, along the white cotton's edge. She paused beneath Layla's collar bone and withdrew her hand.

Virgo made quick work of dressing her and she expertly twisted blonde hair into a lazy bun. They walked to the parlour, arms thrown around each other before Virgo excused herself.

A butler pushed open the door and assisted Layla to the closest chair, bowed and left. Mavis and Shagotte watched her, concern swirling in their eyes. They looked to each other briefly. Blue travelled just under Shagotte's skin.

"It's nice to see you again, Queen Shagotte." Layla spoke, raising her head and catching the pixie's eyes. Her brown eyes were mesmerising -a side effect of her glamour- and the blonde found it hard to look away.

"And you, Layla. Mavis was just telling me about your recovery." Her voice was soft and motherly. There was a strangle lilt to her words. She had an elegant, otherworldly voice. Layla had always liked it. It soothed.

"So, this is simply a social visit?"

"No, I can't say it is. Mavis called me here on political matters." They were watching her intently again. She felt like an attraction in an amusement park. There was a certain current in the air. She was sure she wouldn't enjoy this conversation.

"Layla, I'm setting up a new system of governing." Layla looked over to Mavis in shock. It was the first thing she'd said to her since she'd woken up a few months ago.

"Our current system is outdated. Makarov and I have decided we need to usher in a new era. We need a leader the people see as capable. We need a leader who can handle everything that's thrown at us. We need a leader who fits our ever changing world." Even though she agreed with everything Mavis was saying, Layla could feel a lump forming in her throat. Tears were quickly gathering in her eyes and she tried desperately not to let them fall.

"I was just telling Mavis that you should set up a tournament style event. It would be a great way to show off your strength." Shagotte smiled kindly and nodded to the door. It sometimes made Layla wonder how she could read her emotions so clearly when her own mother didn't seem to feel a thing.

"Your pink haired friend is outside." Thanking every deity she could think of, Layla hobbled out of the room and into Virgo.

* * *

"Come on Layla, stretch just a bit further. You can do it." She winced, biting down on her lip. Pain seemed to radiate up her spine. Each muscle screamed. She wanted to scream.

It had been almost a year since she was rescued and yet, the progress was pitiful. She could now walk on her own. For about five minutes. She could now dress herself. As long as she didn't need to bend over. That was pretty much it. She couldn't jump or run. She couldn't practise magic.

She couldn't fly.

She couldn't fly.

She couldn't fly.

It was a mantra. Repeated over and over. Not just in her head, although it featured prominently there too. It was the thought on everyone's mind. It was the comment on everyone's lips. 'I heard about what happened...', 'You poor thing!..', 'You're so brave, I couldn't possibly live if…'. Their words spun around in her head, reopening wounds and casting light in the darkest corners of her memories. There were things, hidden in the recesses of her mind, Layla never wanted to reach the light of day.

It was times like these that she longed for her best friend. If he wasn't so busy, she might have considered sneaking out like they did as children. It was probably for the best. Being seen with him, of all people, probably wasn't a good idea.

"Layla, focus. This is the last exercise." Makarov's voice broke her from her pain induced daze. She stretched her arm up as high as possible and lifted herself onto her tiptoes. Pain and frustration mixed. The tears she'd been holding at bay fell, splattering on the bright green padded mat. She wobbled.

She bought her arm back down and tried to stabilise her body, but it was too late. She was already careening into the ground. From the corner of her eye she saw Makarov grab Virgo's shoulder. This was something she had to do alone.

The floor rushed toward her all too fast. A year ago she would have curled her body into the fall. Now, she landed flat on her face. She just wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

Makarov eventually moved to her side and plucked her off the floor. He straightened her out and brushed down her clothes before grabbing her hands.

"Chin up, child. Have a warm bath and join in the celebrations." Makarov patted Layla's hands once before giving her over to Virgo.

They made their way back to the blonde's room, Virgo only leaving her side to draw the bath. She helped rid Layla of her clothes and nimbly removed her bandages. With her assistance, she stepped into the steaming bath. The hot water calmed her aching muscles and overwhelmed emotions. Virgo massaged lavender oil into fair skin, removing the accumulated sweat and strain of the days therapy session.

Once Layla was clean, she towelled her off, re-bandaged her back and dressed her for the festivities. Tonight the palace was holding a great feast. All the applicants for the position of 'Titania' would be there. As would several diplomatic embassies. Tomorrow would be the preliminary test. It was the first of ten rounds. Anyone who completed all ten of Layla's challenges would fight a mystery opponent. The winner, as decided by a panel, would become Titania.

The whole event was bittersweet. It was her creation. She had spent almost every waking hour designing each stage. Mavis, Makarov and Shagotte had been constantly updated of the progress, what each stage was testing and added their own input and advice.

As Layla was ushered out of her room, she bumped into a warm, sturdy chest. Immediately, long muscular arms wrapped around her waist. She could feel a smile curl her lips. Strands of black hair brushed against her forehead.

"Igneel!" A light laugh bubbled in her throat. She didn't think she had felt so _happy _since before she'd been taken.

"Lady Layla." Pressed so close, she could feel the reverberations in his chest as he spoke. She tilted her head and, upon catching golden eyes, beamed up at him. For once, she adored the way he towered over her. She felt safe in his arms. And toasty. Man, this guy was hot.

He squeezed her tighter, picked her up and carried her down the hall. This was precisely the reason why the formidable dragon king happened to be her best friend.

* * *

Hands reached out and grabbed at my flesh. Claws ripped, tore, pierced.

I screamed as blood rushed from the lacerations. Still, they came.

Red eyes glowed. Sharp teeth exposed in frightening sneers.

I cringed, pulling back my chains. Trying to break free.

Sinister laughs echoed off the walls.

SLAP

Filthy hands smacked my face, neck, arms, legs. Anything they could reach.

CRUNCH

They locked onto my limbs and squeezed. Tighter and tighter.

BANG

Talons tore out my hair as they bashed my head against the stone walls. Over and over .

RATTLE

Chains cut into my wrists, around my neck. All day. All night.

The cacophony intensified. A never ending symphony of horror.

Blood coated the walls.

The sun drifted higher. The moon came out. It started over again.

Pull. _Please, stop_.

Tug. _No, please_.

Rip. _I'll do anything_.

Tear. _You can do anything, have anything._

Slash. _Anything but that._

Shred. _Kill me!_

Cleave. _Why won't you kill me?_

Gone. Broken. Disfigured. Disgusting. Empty. Alone.

* * *

"Layla, have you seen Makarov?" Said blonde glanced up to see an almost frantic looking Igneel racing up the cobblestone pathway. In his arms was a small, blonde child. He didn't seem to be any older than the age of ten. At least, to her untrained eye.

"You won't find him here. He's gone to Vanima." The blonde faerie stood as she spoke. As they had gotten closer, she could see the blood crusted on Igneel's arms. More covered the child. She gasped and rushed to their aid.

"There was a raid. Anhard. Near Fleids." For a moment she was sure her heart had stopped. It had been almost seventy years and the name still pulled painfully at her heart. Layla knew, possibly better than anyone, just what the Anhard were capable of.

She brushed back light blonde bangs, letting a green glow envelope her hands. Healing magic was soft. It brushed against the wound. Caressing and comforting. It persuaded the muscles to repair, tendons to mend, skin stitch itself back together. It wasn't vastly different from her base magic but it had taken a long time to master. Combat was blunt and used a lot of your magical energy. Medicine was precise. It wasted nothing.

It didn't take long for her to patch the child up. His fae blood was weak but he welcomed her efforts.

"Could you bring him inside?" Igneel nodded and stuck close to her side as they made their way into the palace.

"His name is Laxus." Igneel muttered as he gently placed the child on the bed. Layla smiled lightly, without looking away from the child. His expression was so peaceful. Seeing the child, a child with the same hair as her own, lying on her bed made her heart ache. She had always expected to have her own child by now. So many things, she had planned on doing.

"Sit down. Take off your shirt." She almost wished she had turned around and caught a glimpse of his facial expression. She was sure it would have made her laugh. Did he expect her not to notice the gash along his chest?

Begrudgingly he followed her directions -orders- while she gave Laxus a final, full body scan.

"There's evidence of mental trauma but we won't know for sure until he wakes." She bit her lip and turned to Igneel. No doubt he knew what she was pondering.

"He's Makarov's." She nodded, appeased. The Dreyar's were all incredibly powerful. The child would be fine.

Without saying anything more, she patched him up. They found a spare room, close to Makarov's and set it up for the young dragon. She didn't need to ask about what happened and Igneel didn't offer anything. They simply worked, like a well oiled machine, communicating through grunts and gestures.

There was something bothering Igneel. Something he wasn't sure he could talk to her about. It hurt a little but she could relate. Never had Layla disclosed the details of the weeks she was missing. Not to her parents. Not to her doctors. Not to her guardians. Not to him.

"Layla, Grandine's pregnant!" Igneel's sudden shout boomed through the room. She placed a hand over her racing heart and tried to control her breathing. She had almost forgotten about this guys voice box. He could have blown an ear drum.

"Igneel Dragneel, how many times have I told you not to shout?" Yes, she was shouting too. He wasn't the one who was almost scared to death. She was going to kill him one day.

"Eh, sorry?" He rubbed the back of his head, messing up the already untameable nest of inky spikes. A light blush coated his cheeks. It reminded Layla of when they were children. They would get into all sorts of trouble. She just wanted to grab his cheeks and squish them. So cute.

"Ahem. Grandine and I are having a child." Layla blinked up at him. Her brain slowly comprehending the statement. Grandine. Grandine and Igneel. Grandine and Igneel and _Child_. Oh lord.

"Baby!" She squealed. She jumped up and he swung her around in his arms. Tears slipped over her cheeks. Her best friend was having his very own mini Igneel. She could already tell that his child would drive him mad. Ah, karma.

* * *

Layla could hear people screaming from her room. Smoke was rising in tall, billowing towers. She watched, eyes never leaving the two nuisances in the sky. Despite their, destructive, urges both 'children' were precious to the blonde faerie. It would probably be best if she defused the situation. Before the boys got too ahead of themselves. Or Makarov intervened. She shuddered, remembering the torturous punishments he'd dealt Igneel and herself. If she could save them from one thing, it would be that cruelty.

"Boys! Boys, get down here. Now." She shouted up at the two dragons. One was a smoky grey-blue, purple highlighted the undersides of its wings and along it's ribcage. Like the vicious storm cloud it resembled, lightning streamed from its mouth. The other, was a deep, fathomless black. A few gold scales decorated its legs and tail. It was spewing fire as lightning raced across it's body.

"Can Igneel do that?" She asked herself. She was torn between amazement and confusion. Surely fire _and_ lightning wasn't normal. Beside her, Makarov sighed. So lost in the spectacle, she forgotten about the old man.

His arm grew until it was large enough to swat the two young mischief-makers out of the sky.

"Boys! What were you thinking? You can't lose control and destroy-"

"Makarov, let me take care of these two. Titania looks like she needs you and Mavis." He peered into Layla's eyes, assessing her resolve. No doubt everyone in Pel knew how lenient she tended to be with those two.

But she knew just the way to make them repent. Or rather, to make Laxus repent. Natsu was a lost cause. He was too young to full comprehend his actions. Or control his powers.

"Training hall five, boys." They scampered away quickly, thanking her under their breath. She smiled at Makarov and he nodded.

"Okay, explain and make it snappy." She glared at the two boys -one blonde, one rosette- sitting cross legged in front of her.

"You're not normally this mean…" The pink haired child whined.

"I don't hear an explanation."

"Okay, okay. Umm, Mavis told us we couldn't beat the maze. It smells really funky and gross, you know? So, I said that I could, duh. I'm a dragon. We're the coolest! And she said-" And on he explained. Wild hand gestures punctuated each proclamation. She nodded attentively. Just often enough to keep Laxus on his toes.

"So, I had to prove her wrong! Because, well, she's wrong. And dad's been teaching me to roar! So, I did. I took a reeeaaally big breath and my flames were really, really hot!" Sometimes it was hard to tell that this boy was forty. Dragons aged differently than other species. They spent the first five to ten years as reptiles before their first shift. After that, they only aged physically whenever their bodies decided to hibernate. Since Natsu had yet to go through his first hibernation, he was stuck with the mind and body of a ten year old.

"Natsu, I was asking you to explain how you were using lightning."

"Oh. Ah, I ate his lightning?" Mini Igneel indeed.

* * *

From her seat by the window, Layla watched as Shagotte was escorted from her carriage and into the palace. Her youthful face seemed troubled, something she'd never seen before. The faerie left her seat and walked out to greet the other woman. It had been a while since Layla had last spoken to the pixie queen. She was excited to hear news of her small child, a beautiful girl by the name of Carla. During their last visit, the little girl spent most of her time being entertained by both Layla and Makarov.

"Layla, darling, you're exactly the person I wanted to see." Shagotte's musical tone reached out to her from across the room. Layla smiled in greeting and led her visitor into her drawing room. After the new system of government had been established, the Titania had been moved into the western wing of the palace. It was convenient having her so close. Despite Layla's recovery, travel was difficult and uncomfortable and, acting as the advisor, she needed to be available at all times.

"I had a vision." The faerie sat down on the closest chair. It had been a long time since Shagotte had a vision concerning Pel. Her visions were well known for showing misfortune and ruin.

"It's nothing bad, Layla." She sighed in relief and Shagotte's tinkling laugh flowed through the room. Any tension immediately fled.

"I saw your soul mate. Laxus' too." The silver haired woman watched her closely, silently debating something. Despite her best efforts, Layla couldn't begin to figure out what it might be.

"Your love is human." Layla swallowed loudly. It wasn't necessarily bad news. There were merits to the human race. It wasn't unheard of for Fae or Elves to travel to Earthland. She could work with this. What was bothering Shagotte?

"Laxus' mate… she's a demon queen." Layla wasn't sure how she felt about that statement. On one hand, demons still haunted her nightmares. On the other, this was Laxus' mate. The lightning dragon had lived with her almost all his life. It had been about eighty years since he'd become a member of her family. His companionship had eased the pain of losing her guardians.

"I guess we'd better start packing." Shagotte smiled over at Layla, clearly pleased with her decision. Pride bubbled in her chest. For a long time, Shagotte had been a motherly figure for the blonde. Her approval meant a lot. Certainly more than most.

"Your companion is in the library." The pixie stood with all the refined elegance of her race and left the room, leaving Layla with her jumbled thoughts.

Eventually the faerie broke out of her trance and walked to the library. She wondered how much she should tell Laxus. There were two things that bothered her.

Firstly, dragons were a bit scary when it came to their mates. She didn't want him to scour the human realm looking for his demon. If Shagotte had seen them in one vision then their locations were probably fairly close. They should definitely stick together.

Secondly, although dragons could travel between the three realms with ease, they chose not to. Igneel once mentioned that in Earthland, magic didn't regenerate. It drains until their draconian bodies cease to exist. A dragon, stuck in their human form, don't consider themselves a dragon. Laxus could lose himself.

With that in mind, Layla pushed open the ornate wooden doors and shouted out for the blonde dragon. He ambled to her side and raised an expectant eyebrow.

"Laxus, you have to pack. You're accompanying me to the human realm." He gawked at her, incredulous.

"Oh, and don't forget to tell Makarov." She reached up and patted his head twice, turned and walked back the way she'd come. She had a so much to organise. Fake identities, living arrangements, currency, workplaces, school, a way to contact family in Arun. She needed to learn human languages, customs, hobbies. She needed to write official letters to Titania and Igneel. She needed Mavis and Makarov's approval.

* * *

Layla stepped off the street corner, diligently watching for incoming traffic. Laxus had come down with some type of fever and she was heading to the pharmacy to get some form of medicine for him. It was weird, relying on human potions when she'd become so accustomed to using her own healing magic. There was nothing she could do but comply to the strange custom. A dragon without magic lost their other form; a faerie without magic would have their life force slowly drain away.

She reached the other side safely, much to her relief, and set out down the road. She knew the pharmacy was somewhere along this street. She'd seen it the night, two weeks ago, when they'd first arrived.

Makarov, with the help of his old friend Porlyusica, set up the apartment she and Laxus were currently living in. They decided Magnolia was the best possible base of operations in Earthland. The only portal between here and Arun was about fifteen minutes out of the bustling city, guarded by Porlyusica. Since they were looking for a demon queen, this was the most likely place she'd come through.

The human was more anyone's guess. However, if Layla's predictions were correct, he'd be somewhere near the she-demon. The only real clue they had was his name. Jude. Apparently, Shagotte could hear someone calling for him.

"Please come back!" Layla looked up just in time to see a tall, blonde man run straight into her. Without time to prepare, they crashed onto the sidewalk. She whimpered. It had been years, almost a full century since her injury had caused her this level of pain.

"I'm so sorry. I wasn't looking and- are you alright?" His concern touched something within her.

"Jude! Jude, where've you gone?" A voice called from down the street. His eyes widened in fright. He seemed rather conflicted.

"It's alright. Just an old injury acting up. Sounds like you better run." Layla smiled up at him, holding in her overwhelming excitement. This was him! And he was smiling at her!

"Go on, I'll distract him for you." He shot her one final look and turned, dashing quickly down the closest side street. The man chasing him was closing in fast. Layla waited, counting down until, BAM.

She stood, just as the skinny man was passing her, knocking them both onto the ground. This time she didn't bother to stifle the flow of tears. She could feel the tear in the delicate skin along her spine. If she looked down, she was sure, she'd see a splattering of blood droplets.

"Oh my! I'm so terribly sorry, ma'am. Please, let me assist you." She gladly accepted his hand and let him pull her to her feet.

A full ten minutes later, the man was rushing off in the opposite direction of Jude. Surely, that would constitute enough of a head start for the errant young man. From what she'd gathered, Jude frequently ran away from the man in charge of his studies. It made her laugh. She and Igneel had been the exact same. Ever to the displeasure of their parents.

She brushed any remaining dirt off her shorts and hurried down the road. Poor Laxus was either worrying back home or passed out from his illness. Either option was unsavoury. Jude would have to wait until her current objective had been completed.

* * *

Over the next year -almost five Arunian years- Layla and Jude continued to 'bump' into each other. By now, she almost knew him as well as she'd known several of her close friends back home. She certainly knew him well enough to know that there was _something_ he was keeping from her. She couldn't be sure what, but it seemed just as integral to his identity as being fae was to hers.

She didn't mind in the slightest. It made her feel less guilty about his assumption of her species. She was curious.

It was this curiosity that had her out of bed at two am. Jude had called not long ago, asking her to meet him at their favourite hiding spot.

It was not so much a hiding spot, since Laxus liked to trail them whenever he was feeling particularly crabby or possessive. Which was more often than not lately. Layla would be lying to herself if she didn't admit that she was worried about her fellow blonde. She quickly did the maths. If they left when he was 91, it would make sense to assume he was about 95. Assuming his body was still functioning on Arunian time. Sometime soon, he would mature and they were no closer to finding the demon queen. Without his mate's calming influence, Laxus could easily destroy the whole continent. It was worrying.

Layla had recently been losing sleep trying to solve all their problems. She knew there was an answer in there somewhere. She just didn't know how to find it.

Working quietly, Layla slipped into her leather boots and black pea coat. She didn't want to wake Laxus or, more likely, make enough noise for him to hear over his music. She'd bought him an iPod and headphones on their first day in Fiore. His ears had started to bleed and she'd noticed they were 'noise cancelling'. It seemed like a good idea. Now she couldn't get him to take them off.

She locked the door, as silently as possible, and ran to the stairwell. She and Laxus had agreed that the elevator was just too unnatural to possibly be safe. Plus, the stairs gave them a way to channel their excess energy. Running up and down all ten floors a few times each day was a great way to keep their sanity.

Jumping down two stairs at a time, Layla made it to the lobby in no time. She opened the door into the cold unknown and stepped out. The first few snowflakes were just beginning to fall. They crunched under her feet as she strolled down the road, around the corner and into Magnolia Park.

She could just make out Jude's broad shoulders, under their Cherry Blossom tree. He was slouched against the tree, fidgeting with something in his lap. He seemed really nervous. She walked over quietly and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him jump about a foot.

"L-Layla! I didn't hear you." He was looking at the ground like the undergrowth was responsible for hiding her approach.

"Mhmm, I'll bet." She looked at him fondly, shaking her head. Her human was silly.

"Layla, I have something important to tell you. I haven't been totally honest with you." She rolled her eyes but he looked so scared and earnest. How would he feel if she told him she had a dragon that stalked him in his free time? That probably wouldn't make him feel better.

"Layla, I'm prince of Fiore."

"And I was the faerie princess. I'm so glad we got this out of the way." He ground his teeth and clenched his hands into fists.

"I'm not joking. I really am the prince. That's why I'm always running away. I-" She cut him off quickly. If she wanted to have a clean slate –and conscience- she'd have to tell him now.

"And neither was I. I really was born into the faerie royal family." He was giving her a look. It told her everything she needed to know for her heart to break. He didn't believe her. Should she argue with someone who had already made up his mind?

"There's no such thing as fairies, Layla. It's anatomically impossible. Out of everything to pretend to be, why would anyone chose a fairy?"

Should she answer him? Should she just drop kick him into the closest ocean?

"I mean, fairies are tiny flower people. They're like, the least powerful of any mythical creature, ever."

Her left eye was twitching. What was that song again? Something like, 'dig a tunnel, just digging a tunnel'? Close enough.

"Jude." Layla's head was tipped forward. Her hair fell like a blonde curtain, blocking the murderous glare from his sharp eyes.

"Say one-more-thing. I dare you." He gulped, speechless. She realised it was probably the first time she'd ever been upset with him. It didn't really matter.

With precise movements, her fingers slipped shiny black buttons through their corresponding holes. She shrugged out of the heavy coat, cold air nipping at her arms and raising her flesh. She spun, showing Jude her back. Layla's hands gripped the edge of her shirt and ripped it over her head.

She felt his fingers brush against the puckered scars. Scars which were the physical representation of her suffering. Scars which were the truth of her nightmare. Scars which were all that remained of her wings.

"Layla, is this- what it looks like?" His voice was uncharacteristically quiet. She lifted her shirt back over her head and re-buttoned her coat.

"I was taken by a race called Anhard. They're demons. I was tortured for three weeks before someone found me. I still don't know who. I just woke up in the infirmary in the palace." He looked conflicted for a moment before reaching out and enclosing her in his arms.

"I'm sorry Layla. I'm so sorry."

For the first time in a long time, she felt peace.

* * *

Layla looked at the three year old girl staring back at her with bright brown eyes. She tucked her daughter in tight and ran her hands through shiny golden hair. Her little faerie was so beautiful. She had both her parents wrapped around her little finger. Laxus was like a protective big brother, teaching her to fly, hunt and the laws of magic.

"Ok, so which story do you want tonight?" She asked quietly, gazing fondly at her bundle of joy. The little girl grinned cheekily and tilted her head in mock thought. They both knew she would request the adventures of the faerie princess and her 'army' of brave warrior spirits. They were the only stories that remotely interested the younger blonde.

"Can you tell me more about dragons?" Layla looked down at her daughter in surprise. Just the other day one of the servants had tried to tell her a story about a princess and a dragon and she'd ended up crying.

"Are you sure Lucy? I thought you didn't like dragon stories?"

"Silly mummy, Amy told it wrong. She said the dragon was a meanie. Laxus tells me all about dragons. They're really big and nice and some eat funny things!" Pride burst through Layla's being.

"Hmm, since you know so much about dragons, why don't you tell me a story?" She watched as Lucy's little eyes grew wide. She could practically see the cogs whirling away as she decided on the best story.

"Well, there was once a dragon king."

"A dragon KING?"

"Don't interrupt." Layla smiled as she watched her daughter puff out her cheeks in anger. She moved her fingers over her lips, mimicking the motion of a zipper.

"Ok, there was a dragon king. He was massive and super powerful! But, he was also really nice and a lot of people looked up to him."

"One day, he found a baby dragon. He was wounded in a fight. His mummy and daddy was gone. Bad people had taken them away from the baby forever." Her daughters lips quivered, tears forming in her eyes.

"The king took the baby dragon to a really nice and pretty woman who healed him and said she'd look after him." Well, this story was a little familiar.

"The baby dragon was scared at first. He tried not to let anyone know. He had nightmares for a long, long time. He just wanted his mummy dragon." Her heart ached a little, thinking about the times she had gone into Laxus' room, she herself, wakened by his cries.

"The lady was like a mummy to the baby. He loved the lady very much. She kept him safe and made him happy. She even protected him from bad guys!" Layla thought back. She couldn't really remember Laxus needing protection from 'bad guys'. It was much more likely that they needed protection from him. Unless, was she talking about Makarov?

"Sometimes he was a bit naughty, but she was always nice and fun. She never made him feel bad when he messed up."

"Sometimes he couldn't control his powers. He would break things by accident. One time he broke a lot of things. He made some people cry. But she didn't tell him he was a bad person. Just because you do a bad thing, doesn't mean you're a bad person. He was just too big and rough." She watched as Lucy nodded her head sagely.

"One day, he found out that the lady used to have pretty wings. She was hurt by some bad guys too. The same bad guys as him. He was always scared of those bad guys. Even when he was a big scary dragon himself."

"He felt angry. The bad guys were really mean! He would never forgive them because they didn't say sorry. So, the dragon tried his hardest to make her smile."

"Then, the lady asked him to come on an adventure with her. He was happy. He didn't want the lady to go and forget him. She was his mummy, even though he was a big boy now."

"So, the dragon went with her on an adventure. And the lady met a man and they fell in love. And the dragon, he was lonely. It made him sad. He was scared to lose the lady."

"He tried to adventure on his own but it wasn't the same. Nothing is much fun when you're alone." Layla watched as her daughter stared at her hands sadly. Lucy didn't have any friends her own age. She was kept in the castle grounds at all times since she couldn't hide her wings properly yet.

"One day, the dragon smelt a familiar smell. It was the same as the bad guys. They were going to hurt people!"

"He followed the trail until he came to a house in the woods. He was ready to fight the bad guys but guess what happened!" Lucy looked up at her in excitement.

"Um, a giant cake fell on his head!" Layla looked down at her daughter who, instead of laughing like any other three year old, was staring at her peculiarly.

"No."

"Ah, what happened?" Lucy nodded and continued.

"A girl came out of the house! She told the dragon that the bad guys were her parents. She was very sad and all alone too, so the dragon decided to become her friend."

"She and the dragon went on lots of adventures together. Then, one day, she kissed the dragon and said she loved him." Here, Lucy sighed.

"The dragon loved her too, of course. She was fun and pretty and strong and very nice and she made the dragon happy. The dragon told his mummy that he was going to live with his girlfriend but he still came to visit a lot because he had a little sister he had to look out for." Lucy nodded to herself, clearly pleased with her retelling, and snuggled further into her sheets.

Layla left the room, walked quickly down the hall and into her own bedroom. She reached into the spacious dressing room and turned on the light. Walking inside, she headed straight to a chest of drawers. She opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a wrapped gift. She turned and made her way back to her daughter's room.

"Here Lucy. I'll give you this early." She handed the little girl the gift, smiling as her eyes lit up.

"But, why mama?" Lucy looked up at her with clear chocolate eyes. Questions swirling in their depths.

"For that lovely story. I liked it a lot." Lucy giggled, carefully unwrapping the gift. She pulled out a black dragon plushy. Layla watched her daughter inspect the soft toy critically. She'd bought it on a whim. It resembled the little flame prince too perfectly for her to pass up.

"What's his name?" She looked down at her daughter, a smirk pulling at her lips.

"Salamander." Lucy looked back at the toy and nodded in acceptance of the name. She hugged the toy tight.

"He's here to keep you safe." Layla whispered.

* * *

Layla sat out on the lawn, above her Lucy was climbing deftly. She watched her thirteen year old flutter between branches. She was at least four, maybe five, metres up in the air. Normally Layla would be apprehensive about the height. Recently, Jude had told her Lucy needed her own space to learn. If she fell, at least her wings would catch her. She probably would get a mild fright.

"Mum, I can see the whole city from here!" Layla lifted her hand, shielding her eyes from the harsh glare. Lucy was higher than she'd ever seen her before. Nervous dread curled in the base of her chest.

"Give her space. Give her space. Give her space." She muttered to herself. She averted her gaze, focusing back on her book. If she wasn't watching, it wasn't happening.

"Mum, hey mum. Look!" Once again, Layla looked up at her daughter. Lucy was holding on to a branch on the tree behind her. She was leaning out, back bend slightly. If she fell from that angle, her wings wouldn't be able to-

"AH!" Lucy screamed as she fell. Layla's heart just about stopped. She watched, in slow motion, as her daughter plummeted towards the earth. She saw her body smash against the ground. Helpless, she witnessed the delicate wings snap.

Not a moment passed before Layla was by her side. Her hands shook as she took in the sight of Lucy lying on the ground. There was blood everywhere. One of her wings was stabbed through her chest, narrowly missing her heart. No doubt it punctured a lung. The other, was bent at an awkward angle. Blood oozed across the thin membrane. It oozed from the wound in her chest. It flowed down her sides. It drenched the ground, absorbed into the dirt.

Without a thought, Layla pressed her hands to Lucy's side. She turned her little girl onto her side. With gentle hands, she pulled the bone fragments from the hole in her chest.

Layla's hands glowed, her magic flowing from her body and into Lucy's.

With a patience she didn't know she possessed, Layla watched as her magic poured into Lucy. Through the blood, she could see the effect of her magic. Lucy's body was re-sewing itself. Her own magic was flaring in response to Layla's. She would be alright.

"She'll be fine. She'll be fine. She'll be fine." On and on the mantra continued.

Once she'd finished healing Lucy's chest, she moved on to her wings. She would never let her daughter go through the same pain as herself. By now, Layla's eyesight was blurring. With one last conscious effort, she glued her hands to Lucy's head and began to lock away all her memories of being fae. Her repression would only be undone if Lucy ever managed to reactivate her powers.

* * *

A bedridden Layla was propped up with a multitude of pillows. She was fading and fading fast. It had been four years since she'd healed Lucy in the gardens. Each day she'd gotten progressively worse. But Lucy didn't remember a thing. She believed the lie about an unknown disease and spent hours by her mothers bedside each day. It hurt Layla to see the pain her daughter was in. It had taken three and a half years for her smile to really come back. It arrived with the latest addition to the castle staff.

A few months ago, Igneel contacted her asking for a favour. Young Natsu, as it turned out, was needing some guidance. He'd 'gone psycho' and destroyed a town and seriously injured Gray awhile back. Since then no one had been able to calm him. They had hoped the change of scenery would do him some good. Cool him off a little.

And it worked. When he'd arrived, he'd been stiff and almost unapproachable. Only Layla had been able to get a response from him. He didn't utter a word about Tornor or his family and it honestly scared her a little. As a species, dragons were fairly stable. Their personalities didn't fluctuate much throughout their lives. They were solid and dependable.

Natsu's complete shift had reminded her that he wasn't a full blood dragon. His attitude was so off that Jude hadn't wanted to introduce him to the already fragile Lucy. In a moment of desperation, Layla had called Laxus for his advice. He'd been all for the two meeting. It was enough to put Layla's worries to rest. Laxus would never place his 'nest-mate' in danger.

Since the day they met, Natsu and Lucy had been inseparable. Partially because Natsu was acting as her body guard. Something the dragon took very seriously. Partially because they just clicked. Layla had never seen her daughter take to someone so quickly. But then again, Natsu was the first person 'her age' she'd ever really interacted with.

Regardless, within the presence of one another, both teens had flourished. It bought great comfort to Layla. She knew someone was watching their backs.

In a few minutes, Lucy and Natsu would walk in for their afternoon visit. Layla had organised a bit of a surprise for the two.

She and Jude had decided to send Lucy to a normal university. She needed friends and with Natsu by her side, they had nothing to worry about. On the other hand, Natsu's surprise, if she'd time everything right, would walk in the door just after she'd informed them of their future studies.

Layla knew, mostly from talks with Igneel, how devastated Natsu had been after she and Laxus had left. While she'd been similar to an aunt, Laxus had been like a best friend and elder brother rolled into one. The little fire breather had awoken from his 'nap' to find both his favourite nakama missing.

They had yet to inform Natsu that the lightning dragon and his mate lived so close. Lucy had been specifically ordered not to mention him. It would be sweet for Layla to see two of her favourite boys back together one last time. She had missed the havoc and destruction -excitement- caused by the duo.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

* * *

**This chapter took a looong time to write. I sat for hours. In various locations. Words were not forthcoming. I apologise for the angsty-ness.**

**On Monday, I went to a close friend's funeral. A week ago, she was celebrating her 20th. The next day, she was in the news. Life is short, my lovelies. I hope you can live without too many regrets. :)**

**To my guest reviewer: I hope you're somehow still reading this... You're so sweet! Your comments made me grin like a fool. I hope you liked this chapter, I tried to take your advice. :D**

_**The double update is coming up next. This chappy wasn't really planned. Plot bunnies attacked.**_


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